Hoisting and conveying machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets- Sheet 1.

A. E. BROWN.

HOISTING AND CONVEYING MACHINE.

No. 408.456. Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

, A. E. BROWN. HOISTING AND CONVEYING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3: A. B. BROWN. HOISTING AND CONVEYINGMACHINE.

No. 408,456. Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER E. BROIVN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

HOISTING AND CONVEYING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,456, dated August6, 1889.

Serial No, 295,230. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER E. BROWN, of Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Hoisting and Conveying Machines; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this application.

My invention relates to a new and useful device or contrivance by meansof which the securement to andreleasement from thetrolley or carriage ofthe sheave-block from which the load is suspended may be effected.

Previous to my invention various so-called automatic hooks and otherengaging devices have been devised and put into operation, designed toeffect automatically an engagementbetween theload-supportingsheaveblockand the trolley or carriage of the magreat liability of accidentaldescent when an and it will be impossible again, after havinglifted theload-sustaining device to a certain elevation in order to effect thedisengagement of it with the trolley, for said load-sustaining device todescend without perfecting.

a disengagement with the retaining device of the trolley or carriage;and to this main end andobject my invention may be said to consist,essentially, in a combination of devices, the construction and operationof which are such, as will be hereinafter more fully eX- plained, thatwhen the engaging device of the load-sustaining medium shall have beenelevated to or above a certain elevation (by the action of the usualhoist-rope) any immediate succeeding descent of the load must inevitablyinsure a positive engagement of said device with the automatic hook orengaging contrivance of the trolley or machine; and also when the saidload-sustaining device is again lifted to a certain point anyimmediatelysucceeding descent of the same must inevitablyinsure apositive disengagement of said device with the automatic hook orengaging device of the trolley or machine.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my improvement relates tomake and use a hoisting and conveying machine containing my improvement,I will now proceed to more fully describe the latter, referring byletter to the accompanying drawings, in which I have shown my inventioncarried out in those forms in which I have so far successfully practicedit, and which are the best now known. to .me, although said improvementmay be carried into practice, of course, under modifications not shownin the drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of aknown form of trolleyor carriage adapted to travel on a rigid double-beam tramway andprovided with one of the usual forms of hoistrope and load-sustainin gsheave-block and supplied with my improved means or contrivance forinsuring the engagement and disengagement automatically of saidsheave-block with the trolley. In said figure the beams of the elevatedtramway are omitted for the sake of simplification in the drawings. Fig.2 is a central vertical transverse section of the contrivance or machineshown in side elevation at Fig. 1, but showing also in section the beamsof the elevated tramway. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but withthe automatic engaging devices and sheave-block represented in somewhatdifferent relative positions. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of theautomatic engaging hook-like devices detached. Fig. 5 is a View similarto Fig. 1, but with the automatic hook shown in a different position orstage of action. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of thecontrivance shown at ICO Fig. 5, but with the hoist-block omitted orsupposed to be lowered out of sight. Fig. 7 is an end or edge view ofthe parts seen at Fig. Gin side elevation. Fig. 8 is another view of theautomatic hook device detached from the other parts of the machine. Fig.9 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modification inthe form of the automatic engaging hook. Fig. 10 is averticallongitudinal section showing a slightly-modified form of trolley, suchas adapted to run on a cable tramway instead of a rigid railway, andalso illustrating the cable tramway and showing a modification ofmyinvcntion or improvement with reference to the automatic engaging anddisengaging devices.

In the several figures wherever the same parts occur they will be founddesignated by the same letters of reference.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 to S,inclusive,A representsthe two beams of a double-track rigid elevated tramway, on which ismounted to travel in the usual manner, by means of its carrier-wheels c,a trolley composed, mainly, of two metallic plates or cheek-pieces a, ofabout the shape shown, and suitably united and supported f1 om the truckof the carriage. Said trolley has mounted on suitable axles supported byits cheek-pieces or side plates a two sheaves or rope-wheels B, over andpartially around which passes, in the manner shown, (and wellknown tothose skilled in the art,) the hoist-rope C, which rope at its pendentloop also passes beneath and partially around the sheave or rope-wheelof an ordinary hoist-block I), from which depends the usualload-carrying hook E, which, as shown, has its upper end pivotallyconnected to the eye or loop (I of said block. In the case shown theaxle or spindle i of the rope-wheel of the sh cave-block D projectsoutwardly at each side of the block, said projections constituting theengaging device of the block, by means of which said block is sup portedand released atpleasure, in a manner to be presently described. Thecheek-pieces or side plates not the trolley are formed with verticalcut-outs or slots 1), in a well-known manner, for the accommodation ofthe lugs or the projecting spindle ends 5, before mentioned. On eachside of the trolley, exteriorly of its side plates (1, is arranged apendent hook-like deviccf, the upper end of which is pivotally connectedwith a stud awhich passes through the upper portion of the carriage.Fast on this stud is arranged, intermediately of the plates (1, ahub-like device Z, with depending arm-like portions, in which latter isarranged a cross-pin 0 (see Fig. 2,) to which cross-pin or pivot areconnected the ends of two spring draw-bars or centering devices F, thefunction of which devices is to draw and hold the pendent hooks f incertain positions, as will bepresently explained. Each of said dependinghook-like devices f has a peculiar camlike conformation atits lowermostportion, and is also formed with a sort of grooved cam or seat-likedepression g, all as plainly shown in the drawings. (See particularlyFig. 4 and the dotted-in portions of some of the other figures.)

As Figs. 9 and 10 show modifications, involving, however, substantiallythe same general principle of action or mode of operation as areillustrated in the preceding figures, I will, before proceeding toparticularly explain Figs. 9 and 10, describe, by reference to thepreceding figures, the general mode of operation of my improved machine.

At Figs. 1 and 2 each one of the automatic hook-like devices f isrepresented as beingin its normal position, and it will be understoodthat the two hooks on the opposite sides of the trolley always move inunison. In other words, at Figs. 1 and 2 the hooks f are represented asin the positions which they naturally occupy when not acted upon in anymanner by the engaging devices or projecting spindle ends 1' of thehoist-block D, and in said figures this hoist-block is represented ashaving just been elevated to a point at which these devices 2' are readyto begin action upon the engaging hooks or devices f. Now, as the ascentof the hoist-block D is continued, the projecting lugs t' naturallyascending in a vertical plane, and, furthermore, being in the case shownconfined to such vertical movement by the slots 1) of the side plates atof the trolley, the operation and effect of the ascending devices 1' areto move or swing the arms f into the position partially shown by thedotted lines at Fig. 1 until said devices i shall have passed the pointZ, or the upper extremity of the inclined lower camface of saidhook-like device. After having passed fart-her up, so as to clear thispoint, (the extent of projection of the devices 2' beyond the exteriorface of the plates at being a fraction less than the depth of thedepression g in each of the devices f,) the tendency of the device fwill be to resume its former position, (that seen in full lines at Fig.1,) since by having been forced into the position indicated by thedotted lines the leftrhand one of the spring draw-bars F will have hadits spring compressed, so that it will act to cause the return of saiddevice f to its original position. The complete return of the devices fto their original positions will, however, be obstructed by the presenceof the devices 2 which, it will be understood, have now ascended to suchan elevation that in attempting to resume their nbrmal positions thoseportions of the swinging devices f that are located above the point atwill come into contact with the right-hand'sides of said devices 2',which contact will continue solongas said devices remain at theelevation to which they had to be lifted to clear the pointZ, ard solong as they may be lifted higher; but as soon as the hoist-rope C isoperated to permit any descent of the hoist-block l), the devices i,descending in contact with the lefthand surfaces of the swinging arms f,will IIO pass below the point 00, and thus permit a furthermovement ofthe pendent hooks in the direction in which the spring of the lefthanddraw-bar F still tends to pull them. This draw-bar, however, cannot pullthe pendent arms completely back. to their original positions, becausein their descent the devices 71, coming against the left-hand surfacesof the upwardly-projecting points or stops 3 of the devices f, willobstruct the further movement of said devices, and the inevitableconsequence of this enforced relative position of the devices '5 to thedepressed or recessed portions 9 of the pendent hooks is that saiddevices 2', as the descent of the sheaveblock continues, must becomeseated within these depressed portions, or, in other words, must come torest on the seat or depressed bearingsthereof, as shown. Therefore, aswill be clearly seen, whenever the sheaveblock shall have been elevatedto any point whichwill insure the passage of the devices 6 above thepoints Z of the hooks and the sheave-block then permitted to descend,its descent must insure the positive engagement of the devices 2' withthe hook-like portions or sustaining-seats at the vicinities of therecesses g.

Now, whenever it may be desired to effect a disengagement or releasementof these devices 'i to permit the descent of the hoistblock and itsload, it is necessary to again lift the hoist-block (through the medium,of course, of the hoist-rope C) until the devices 1' shall have beenraised to an elevation at which the upwardly-projecting stops orportions 3 of the pendent devices f can swing or pass beneath saiddevices 2', when, by the action of the left-hand spring draw-bar F, thedevices f will be swung into their original positions, (indicated by thefull lines at Fig. 1,) the devices 2' escaping, so to speak, to theright and free of the depressions g of the pendent hooks. According tothe preferable construction and that shown, when these devices shallhave been thus lifted a second time to this elevation they will comeinto contact with the upper ends or stop-like portions 2 of the slots 1)in the plates at. Then the hoist-block D is free to descend, and if itbe lowered the devices 1' will come into contact with the inclinedsurfaces of the devices f, that extend from the points 3 to the points4, and by said contact will swing the arms f to the left against theresistance of the spring of the right-hand one of the draw-bars F to asuificient degree to permit the passagedownward of the devices 2' beyondthe points 4 of the pendent arms f, when said arms will be returned totheir normal position by the reaction of the spring in said draw-bar F,leaving the pendent arms in the first-stated positions and ready for arepetition of the operations just explained.

Of course it will be understood that'iu lieu the disengagement of theparts, as just above described, which means, it will be'seen, consist,essentially, in, first, a suitable spring to pull the devices f to theleft sufficientlyto insure the escape of the devices 1' from theirseat-like bearings, (when said devices 1' shall have been lifted, asexplained,) and, second, the cam-like or inclined surfaces that extendfrom the points 3 to the points at for inducing a further swingingmovement of the devices f, some other suitable means may be employed.

At Fig. 3 the devices 2' are represented as seated in the depressedportions 9 of the arms f, so as to support or sustain the sheave-block Dand its pendent weight during the transverse movements of the trolley orcarriage, and in this figure the elevated position (in dotted lines) ofthe sheave-block shows the devices 2' raised to the positions at whichthe arms f (there shown in full lines) are free to and will move, byvirtue of the spring action of the left-hand draw-bar, into theposit-ion indicated in'dotted lines in said figure, in which position,as already just above explained, the devices 1' will be free to descendand push the pendent hook still farther toward the left as thesheave-block D is lowered.

At Fig. 5 it will be seen that the parts are in the relative positionswhich they occupy, for instance, before the devices t' have passed thelowermost points at of the pendent arms, while at Fig. 6, thesheave-block being supposed to have descended until the devices 11 aresome distance below the trolley, the pendent devices f have been causedto resume their original position, such as seen, also, by the full linesat Fig. 1.

At Fig. 9 I have shown a modification of my invention, in which, in thefirst place, the slots 1) are extended higher up, so that the upper endsor abutment-surfaces 2 are located so high up that the engaging devices1' will never come into contact therewith, and in which modification, inthe next place, the automatic hook devices f are constructed or shapedso that in raising the sheave-block for the purpose of disengagement thedevicesi will come to a stop against or will interlock with thedepressed portions of the arms f, in such manner that a subsequentslight descent of these devices 7: must occur to permit the points 5 topass over said devices '5 before the pendent arms f can beswung towardand into their normal ornatural positions by the left-hand one of thespring draw-bars F. Although the mode of operation will be substantiallythe same, so far as certainty of action is concerned, I deem the form inwhich my invention is shown carried into effect in the preceding figuresas preferable to the modification shown at this Fig. 9.

At Fig. 10 I have shown a still further modification of my invention, inwhich, instead of having the peculiarly-shaped cam-like devices formedin, or as parts of, the pendent arms, these devices are formed on orrigidly attach ed to the sheave-block D, one at each side of the upperportion of the same, and pendent arms k are hung upon the pivotal pointsm and are provided simply with laterally-proj ectin g lugs or engagingdevices 11, all as clearly shown, and all in such manner that when thesheaveblock is elevated its cam-like devices will come into contact withthe laterally projecting devices 11 of the pendent arms 70, and swingingsaid arms to the right will force the devices at to travel in contactwith the upper inclined faces of said eam-like devices from the points 1to the points 2, when by the pulling action of the spring draw-bar F atthe left-hand side of the figure the arms is will be moved in thedirection indicated by the arrow, thus permitting said devices 21 tocome into engagement with the peculiarly-shaped depressed portions ofthe cam-like devices of the sheave-block, such engagement, however,preventing any further upward movement of the sheave-block and insuringa positive engagement of said devices with the seating depression 4 assoon as the sheave-block shall have been permitted to descend; nor canany such permission to descend be given to the sheave-block withoutinsuring this engagement between the devices a and the engaging cam-likedevices of said block. In order to lower the block, it is only necessaryto again lift it to a sufficient extent to permit the devices 11 to passbeneath the points 5, which they are forced to do by the continuedpulling action of the spring draw-bar atthe left-hand side of thefigure, and as soon as the devices a shall have passed these points 5there is no impediment to the free descent of the sheave-block, thelatter in its continued downward movement inducing its cam-like devicesto operate upon the devices a as they travel from the points 5 to thepoints 1 in such manner as to force said devices n still farther to theleft (and beyond their normal positions) against the tension of thespring draw-bar F to the right of the figure, said devices 22 and theirpendent arms 7c resuming their natural or normal positions by the actionof said spring after the sheave-block D shall have passed entirely outof contact with the devicesf. Thus it will be seen that it is not at allmaterial whether the projecting devices or male members of the engagingmechanism be on the sheave-block and the female members or depressedseat-like bearings in a part of the apparatus attached to the trolley,or vice versa. In this figure the form of trolley or carriage slightlydifferent from that seen in the preceding figures, as it is designed torun, as shown, upon a cable tramway A instead of upon a rigid track Asuch as shown in the preceding figures.

Of course in carrying my invention into effect other modifications thanthose shown and alluded to may be adopted, if found expedient.

It is desirable and important in the construction and arrangement of thetubular spring devices F that they be made so as to act upon the pendentarms f to bring them to and hold them at their proper positions withoutany fluctuations or vibrations beyond such points. In the form ofdevices shown I accomplish this desirable end by having each one of thedraw-bar devices composed, as shown, of a simple cylinder having acompressible spiral spring arranged therein and the rod or draw-barcombined therewith in the usual manner, each of the tubular devices,however, instead of being stationary, being adapted to have a properextent of longitudinal movement or sliding motion by reason of theirbeing mounted near their more distant extremities upon pins or studs 3s, which engage with longitudinal slots t in the cylinders. By thismeans it will be understood that when either one of the springs iscompressed by the pull of the pendent arms f the other cylinder, insteadof having its spring also compressed, will be moved bodily without anyeffect on the spring, and so as not to exert any force tending to causethe arms f to teeter. This peculiar construction and operation of thespring draw-bars for centering the vibratory arms, so to speak, may ofcourse be applied to any and every sort of vibratory devices wherever itmay be 9 important to prevent any fluctuation or unnecessary vibratorymotion of said arms.

IVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a hoisting and conveying machine, the combination, with thehoist-block or loadsupporting device and with the trolley or carriage,of an automatic contrivance for effecting an engagement between saidleadsupporting device and said trolley, and for also permitting adisengagement of these parts, composed of the followinginstrumentalities, viz: first, projecting engaging devices on one of theparts to be brought into and thrown out of engagement with each other;second, suitable seats or depressed bearings on the other one of saidparts for the accommodation of said engaging devices; third, suitablesteps which operate to insure the descent of said engaging devices intosaid bearings or seats whenever said devices are lowered immediatelyafter having been elevated to or above a proper point, and, fourth,means which insure a complete separation of the said engaging devicesand the said seats whenever the former are elevated from engagement withsaid seats to or above a proper point, all substantially as hereinbeforeset forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 14th day ofDecember, 1888.

ALEXANDER E. BROWN.

In presence of GEORGE C. WING, J. P. SMITH.

